The Soldier's Details

Evans enlisted AIF Dec 1940 from Pemberton where he resided with his family.    He later joined 2/4th’s ‘D’ Coy 14 Platoon under Commanding Officer Lt Tompkins. At Singapore a further Platoon was created in ‘D’ Coy.  Ben was moved to 16 Platoon from 14.

‘D’ Company 14 Platoon

And about 16 Platoon

Evans was shell-shocked at Buona Vista and evacuated on 15 Feb 1942 having made his way back to ‘B’ Company area following the Japanese landing on 8th & 9th February.

Ben was selected in Singapore with ‘F’ Force to work on the Burma-Thai Railway and departed by train on the 20 April 1943.

Please read about ‘F’ Force

Below:  48 men from 2/4th with ‘F’ Force compiled by Harold Cowie.

 

It was reported Ben did an excellent job as a medical orderly at Shimo Sonkurai Hospital from 24 July to 1 August 1943.    He contracted dysentery at Kami Sonkurai and was hospitalised from 26 Sept to 2 Oct 1943.

When he returned to Singapore (following completion of railway link majority of POWs were sent south to one of the large Camp Hospitals or in the case of ‘F’ Force, returned to Singapore where Ben was hospitalised at Changi Hospital, Singapore and in May 1944 sent to Woodlands (Kranji Hospital)   from where he was recovered at the end of the war on 31 August 1945.

2nd October, 1945.

 

Ben had arrived in Fremantle 31 Dec 1926 aged 10 years on the ship ‘Chitral’ with his mother Tydfil Irene Evans  (33 years) of Penygraig, with Ben and  2 year old brother Hywel David Evans.

Ben’s parents had married about 1912 at Pontypridd.  His father William Alfred Tiley served in WW1 – Service No. 241681 and was Sergeant with a Welsh Regiment, he died in 23 August 1918. His mother thereafter received a widow’s pension.  She was born 1894 at Rhondda Valley, Glamorgan, Wales to parents Benjamin Davies and Margaret Jones.

We found a record showing Bootmaker William A Tiley, was a member of St Leonard’s Fremasons, Wales having joined in 1917.

In 1919 Ben’s widowed mother Tydfil Tiley remarrried to Tudor Evans in Wales (we believe he served in WW1).

After the Evans family arrived in WA, they had two more children Donald and Audrey Gwynneth born in Pemberton.

Below:  Tudor Evans was involved with the Church of Christ.

Tydfil died 1980.  She was 86 years old and buried at Bunbury Cemetery. Tudor Evans died in Pemberton in 1980

In 1936. Electoral Records show Tydfil Irene Evans was residing in Pemberton.

Ben Evans married in 5 June 1955 to Jill Harrison at Guildford.

In 1963 Electoral Roll, Ben and Jill were residing Merredin where Ben was working as a civil servant.

In 1968 they resided Mahogany Creek, Ben was an inspector.

The following information is from Ben’s son

‘After a reasonably long sojourn in Hollywood Hospital in Perth he returned to Pemberton where he grew up.

When somewhat recovered he then, I believe, was employed as a Vermin Control Officer by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture. He worked his way up through the ranks to become a Stock Inspector, where he was sent to Kellerberrin and serviced the surrounding areas for some ten years. He was then transferred to Perth where he was based at both the Department’s Head Office in South Perth, and at the Midland Saleyards (when they existed) which also included being the Department’s representative at the Midland Abattoirs which were adjacent to the Saleyards.

His next younger brother H.D. (Dave) Evans was for some time Dad’s “boss” when Uncle Dave was Minister for Agriculture in the W.A. Parliament.

He retired after a heart attack in the late 1970s.

His health was always a bit of a worry with many of the ailments caught whilst a P.O.W. being still a problem, such as malaria, beriberi, strongyloidiasis, and many others. He was well looked after by the wonderful Dr Bruce Hunt, with whom Dad was on the Burma Railway. Dr Hunt saved my life when an infant and I caught a disease from Dad.

In his retirement Mum and Dad spent a few years in Adelaide where I was living at the time, before returning to Perth where the Medical System was vastly superior and he had far better treatment.

Dad died on the 2^nd of July, 2000 some six weeks before his 84^th birthday.

He is buried at the Midland Cemetery in Midvale.’

 

 

Below:  Newspaper items regarding Ben and sometimes his father Tudor. They shared interests in swimming and other community events.

 

Below:  Ben joins Sunday Times Children’s Club.

 

 

Below: 1939

Below:  Tudor Evans involved in Pemberton RSL 1940.

 

 

AFTER THE WAR.

Below:  Ben is bestman to Sydney Paynter and Jean Roby